Hello Kitty

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Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty character portrait.png
Universe Hello Kitty
Full name/Real name/Shorter name Kitty White
Japanese name ハローキティ, Hello Kitty
キティ・ホワイト, Kitty White
キティちゃん, Kitty-chan
First appearance 1974
Based on Anthropomorphism of a Japanese bobtail cat
Gender Female
Nationality British

Hello Kitty is a Sanrio character created in 1974, designed by artists such as Yuko Yamaguchi. She is a joyful, fun, and cheerful character who is an anthropomorphism of a Japanese bobtail cat, meaning that she has traits of both human and a cat.

She is the most successful Sanrio character who is known across the world and can be found in countless Sanrio merchandise of many kinds for both children and adults.

Hello Kitty usually has no visible mouth. According to Yuko Yamaguchi, this is so that people can "project their own feelings onto her face", which may suggest that people can emphasize with Hello Kitty regardless of whether they are happy or sad.[1] Another reason given by Sanrio why Hello Kitty has no mouth is that Hello Kitty "speaks from the heart" and that as an ambassador to the world she "isn't bound to any particular language".[2]

Early history[edit | edit source]

The first Hello Kitty merchandise is believed to be a coin pouch with Hello Kitty, some milk, and Hello Kitty's fish that simply says "Hello!".

HK 1974 coin pouch.png

Hello Kitty originally wasn't the most popular Sanrio character, as early in her history the Little Twin Stars were once more popular. In fact there was a point where she was losing popularity after her first artist retired, until the introduction of Tinychum as Hello Kitty's friend, and smart marketing strategies (such as Hello Kitty Print Clubs), as well as celebrity recognition made her popular again. This made her so popular that even overseas countries would recognize her more, such as United States (a phenomenon known as the Kitty Boom).[3]

Biography[edit | edit source]

“A bright and cheerful girl with a heart of gold. Makes delicious cookies, but prefers Mom's apple pie. Hello Kitty is best friends with her twin sister Mimmy.”
—Sanrio official website

Her motto is "You can never have too many friends!".[4]

Hello Kitty's real name is Kitty White. She was born on November 1st. She is blood type "A" and lives in Suburban London. She is good at making cookies, and her favourite word is "friendship". Her favourite subjects are English, music and Chicken

Hello Kitty's favourite food is "Momma's apple pie". She collects small cute things "like candy, stars, goldfish, etc." She is best friends with Mimmy, her twin sister.[5]

She is "five apples" high and weighs "three apples".

Family[edit | edit source]

Friends[edit | edit source]

[6] [7] [8]

Other related characters[edit | edit source]

Variations:

Other friends:

Trivia[edit | edit source]

  • When Christine R. Yano, an anthropologist at the University of Hawaii was curating a Hello Kitty exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles she was corrected by Sanrio that Hello Kitty is "not a cat" but a "cartoon character". Sanrio noted that Hello Kitty walks on two legs and is never depicted on all fours unlike her pet cat Charmmy Kitty. This became viral and the Internet sensationalized it as shocking or as a negative thing.[9]
    • However, when Kotaku asked Sanrio's Tokyo headquarters whether Hello Kitty was a cat, they replied that Hello Kitty is a "gijinka" (meaning "anthropomorphization" or "personification.") created in the motif of a cat and suggested it is a statement too far to say that Hello Kitty is not a cat.[10]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 10 Questions for Yuko Yamaguchi - TIME
  2. ↑ Top cat: How 'Hello Kitty' conquered the world - Asia - World - The Independent
  3. ↑ Japanese Wikipedia editors (references are included there via in-line citations)
  4. ↑ Sanrio.com - Hello Kitty Con 2014 page.
  5. ↑ Sanrio official website (archived, 2011) - Hello Kitty Family.
  6. ↑ Japanese character directory page
  7. ↑ Hello Kitty EVA Air website - Characters
  8. ↑ Hello Kitty Magical Museum Guidebook and Hello Kitty no Metcha Esute Official Guidebook
  9. ↑ BBC - "Hello Kitty is not a cat - She's a British school kid"
  10. ↑ "Don't Be Silly, Hello Kitty Is a Cat" - Kotaku
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